Heretofore, boat hulls have been proposed, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,352,296 (Szego); 2,400,771 (Moxham); 2,662,237 (Carey); 3,736,608 (Whitehead); and 3,747,551 (Bennekers).
The patent to Bennekers discloses a boat hull constructed of a plurality of plates which are bent and secured together through weld seams. The plates are welded to a plurality of bulb irons, each of which extends parallel to one another in spaced relation and parallel to the generatrices of the developed surface formed by the sheet. The sheet is bent in one direction perpendicular to the alignment of the irons such that the irons remain straight and parallel to one another. Once bent in the desired manner, transverse stiffening members are added, along with temporary supporting means.
The patent to Whitehead discloses a water vessel having a double hull which is constructed with a pair of partitions attached to the bottom surface of the main bottom and exposed along the longitudinal axis of the vessel. The partitions are connected to a forward transverse partition and a stern panel. Laterally disposed partitions extend outward from opposite sides of the longitudinally disposed partitions to the outer edges of the main and auxiliary bottoms. The laterally disposed partitions are preferably disposed along axes which are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel and extend in a rearward direction toward the edges of the bottoms. The main and auxiliary bottoms are further connected by a plurality of ribs which extend parallel to and between each of the lateral partitions inward by a predetermined distance.
The patent to Moxham discloses a boat hull having a bottom shell with a keel extending along a longitudinal axis thereof. Straight frame members are constructed along the bottom shell and the top side shell for support. Moxham further illustrates a stern portion of the boat having a keel formed of a T-bar. Frame members which are ordinarily flat, straight stock formed of metal bars, angles or channels, are connected to the chines at one end and to the flat floors at the other end. The frame members support the shell.
The patent to Carey discloses a boat hull construction having a keel and stem to form one longitudinal frame member while the other longitudinal frame member is constructed from two gunwale members. Stringers are provided along the keel and the gunwale members, including a stringer extends from a point in the keel to a point adjacent the upper end of the stem. The ends of the stringers are connected to the keel through slots formed therein. A series of frame members are extended between the keel and the gunwale members. The frame members are slotted to permit the stringers to pass therethrough. The frame members include an inner skin and an outer skin each formed of planks arranged diagonally between the keel and the gunwale members in a direction diagonally opposite to that in which the stringers extend.
However, the systems presented thus far have met with limited success. Many of these systems require an unduly large amount of materials within the hull to maintain structural integrity. These excessive materials translate into increased assembly time and increased weight. Additionally, many conventional systems utilize rivets to secure the supporting rib structures to the hull. Each rivet presents a potential leak, and thus as the number of rivets increases, so does the future expenses for repairs.
Also, a conventional system has been proposed which utilizes a transverse support structure, wherein each support extends laterally across the boat in a direction perpendicular to the boat's length. Each transverse support is secured to the hull through a series of rivets aligned in a direction also transverse to the boat's length.
However, this transverse support structure has afforded many problems, such as cracking along the rivet line. Specifically, the transverse support structure produces a hinge line along each rivet line. These hinge lines translate into a section of the hull which experiences an undo stress and corresponds to the weakest point within the hull. Rivet-to-rivet cracking occurs in part due to the fact that each support provides a discrete and independent region of the hull which is supported. These regions are relatively strong and rigid. Consequently, as the hull experiences a force along a support, it transfers this force to the single corresponding support. The support transfers the force along its length to the points of contact with the hull. Hence, the loading forces are transferred to the rivet line. Once this concentrated force exceeds the-load bearing capabilities of the hull, a failure occurs at the weakest point within the hull. In a transverse support structure, this weakness is most prevalent at the rivet line since the rivet holes produce a somewhat perforated hull cross-section and create a prying point when a force is experienced.
Moreover, the boat hull supporting structures presented in the past have required overly complex assembly processes. Many of these conventional boats require the support structure to be assembled in a piecemeal manner within the boat after the hull has been formed. Such a piecemeal construction is labor intensive and time consuming. Further, as the individual support sections are attached, they must conform to a preformed hull contour. Thus, if the hull is formed with irregularities or uneven contours, the components of the support structure added thereto will become similarly uneven.
A need remains within the industry to provide an improved boat hull construction. It is an object of the present invention to meet this need.